Things Are Established, Ships Are Sunk, People Are Killed (In History)

August 15, Sat.
Pacific
Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, Washington, is established. [Paving the way for An Officer and a Gentleman.]

Marine Aircraft Wings, Pacific (Major General Ross E. Rowell, USMC) is established at San Diego, California.

Caribbean
Patrol Wing 11 (Commander Stanley J. Michael) is established at San Juan, Puerto Rico, for operations in Caribbean Sea Frontier.

Naval Auxiliary Air Facility, Jamaica, British West Indies, is established.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Balladier, in convoy SC 95, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-705 (one of 13 boats deployed to intercept Allied transatlantic convoys) approximately 550 miles southeast of Iceland at 55°00'N, 25°00'W; eleven of the 34-man crew and two of the 11-man Armed Guard die in the attack. Merchantman Norluna rescues survivors.